The electric cart of Pedro Acosta, known in Varadero as "the carpenter" for taking care of bicycles in the local market, was stolen this Thursday from his home on Tercera Street between 53 and 54 in that locality of the province of Matanzas.
The report was posted in the Facebook group "VARADERO Sells" by a neighbor, who alerted the community and requested assistance in locating the vehicle or its parts.
"Attention to all members of this group: a criminal incident occurred on Tercera Street between 53 and 54 in Varadero that has shocked the community. An electric cart belonging to Pedro Acosta, known by everyone as the carpenter who looks after bicycles at the market, was stolen. The police are working on the investigation, but we can all help," wrote the author of the post.
According to the report, three surveillance cameras from neighbors recorded the incident from different angles. A total of three people were involved in the theft, although only one of them was captured clearly in the footage.
The publication includes photographs of the alleged suspect and requests that anyone who recognizes him come forward, as well as reporting any sale or promotion of electric cart parts, given the possibility that the vehicle may have been disassembled.
Another neighbor who shared the complaint warned that the image might not be completely clear: "They know it's an edited image; it could be someone who resembles this photo. Please, let’s all collaborate to catch them as soon as possible so we can sleep peacefully. It's only been a month since the robbery on 59, and now it's happened on 54. Varadero is no longer safe."
The reaction of internet users was one of indignation and solidarity with the victim. "After all the work Pedro put in to buy his little car and some jewelry, they steal it. Justice," wrote one user.
Another pointed out that criminals "dare to act because they feel like nothing happens," while a third lamented: "Crime lives happily; that's now something normal, they do whatever they want and nothing happens to them."
Some internet users also expressed nostalgia for past police practices: "When in Varadero the police used to ask for identification from anyone who looked suspicious and would put on the train to Oriente those who didn't have an address in Matanzas, that didn't happen."
The theft of tricycles and electric carts has become a high-frequency criminal phenomenon in Cuba. So far in 2026, several cases in different provinces have resulted in violent crimes, including fatalities in Cienfuegos, Santiago de Cuba, and Villa Clara. In May, the police in San Miguel del Padrón, Havana, managed to resolve the theft of an electric tricycle after locating the vehicle advertised for sale on Facebook.
Matanzas is the province most affected by crime in Cuba. According to the Cuban Observatory for Citizen Audit, in 2025, there were 2,833 verified crimes recorded nationwide—a 115% increase compared to 2024—and Matanzas topped the list with 503 cases, in the context of increasing insecurity affecting Cubans of all ages.
"Look at how Varadero is. I say Varadero, but it’s everywhere," summarized an internet user expressing the widespread feeling of helplessness.
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